BREWER, John William

John William Brewer
John William Brewer

John William BREWER

820487, Lance Bombardier, b. 1894, Lincoln d. Sun. 8th September 1918 (aged 24)

In 1901 aged 6 John William was with his parents and 4 siblings, living at 14 Lark Lane, Lincoln. By 1911 aged 16John William Brewer is shown working as a Scavenger and still living at the same address in Lincoln, his father Joseph is shown as a Carter.

At some point the family moved to Clayton to work in the mills. John was known throughout the village as he lived at Durley Dene, Victoria Street, while his parents, Joseph and Susannah lived at 20, Oxford Street, Clayton.

Unlike the majority of the other Clayton casualties John was a professional soldier and had joined up in Lincoln (the place of his birth) a year before the war began in 1913, into the Royal Field Artillery (RFA), a unit which was to have a crucial role throughout the First World War. To give an indication as to his experience his service number was originally 33; by the end of the war the service numbers in the RFA were up to six digits!

John was one of the first to be sent over to France, and survived throughout the entire conflict before dying just less than two months before the Armistice that signalled the end of the war on November 11th 1918. Even more saddening is to know that he ‘died of wounds received’, meaning that he was not killed outright and probably had to endure much pain up until his death.
He is buried in a small cemetery in the village of Ecoust – St. Mein about 16 miles south of Arras, the scene of much heavy fighting throughout the war. At the time of his death John was serving with ‘A’ Battery, 232nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery.

John is buried at Ecoust-St.Mein British Cemetery, Belgium. His headstone is inscribed “At Rest”.

John William Brewer original grave cross

Photographs courtesy of https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/488392

Headstone of J W Brewer. Ecoust-St Mein British Cemetery.
THE BRITISH ARMY ON THE WESTERN FRONT, 1914-1918 (Q 5689) An advanced dressing station under a ruined house at Ecoust-Saint-Mein, 17 July, 1917, showing the Royal Army Medical Corps Captain, decorated with a Military Cross, and an Officer of the Gordon Highlanders. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205237802

Brewer Family

The 1911 census shows Joseph Brewer as Head of the Family aged XX and his wife Susannah and their X children.

Joseph Brewer( junior) was born in 1900 and so just missed the Great War, his is shown living at 20 Oxford Street on his Marriage to Elsie Craven on July first 1922. Joseph seniors occupation is shown as a Comber.

Gladys Brewer married Richard Baguley in 1924 and gives her address as 20 Oxford Street. Her father Josephs occupation is given as a Combing Overlooker.

The change of occupation for Joseph from a Carter to a Comber perhaps confirms that the family moved to Clayton from Lincoln to get better paid jobs and better prospects in the booming woollen mills of Bradford.

In the 1939 register the Brewer family are living at 13 The Avenue, Clayton with George and Ernest listed. Joseph is 65 and working as a general labourer, whilst George and Ernest are occupied as Warehousemen.

Joseph died in 1948 aged 84, with the family still at 13 The Avenue, Clayton, the better end of Clayton. His wife Susannah died in 1954 aged 81.